Kate

Her name was Екатерина Ровбуть, but I just called her “Kate.”

I met her while playing a mobile game called TWD: Survivors, which was based on the Walking Dead comics by Robert Kirkman. It was a blast and one of the few places where I really felt a sense of community. She went by the username “Kailirus” and had this charming vibe about her. I’m not sure what caught her attention, but maybe it was my late-night poetry sessions in the Region chat. At 2 AM, I’d jump into an empty chat which was usually buzzing with people and just share my poems. Some thought I was a bit crazy, but it was my jam, and I didn’t care. Whatever it was, she started chatting with me. We ended up talking every day, sometimes for hours through private messages. All I knew was that she was straight, 32, and from Russia. Thankfully, the game had a super handy chat translator that made everything easy. You just type, and it does the rest. It felt great to connect with people from all over without borders getting in the way. I had never traveled outside the U.S. and always dreamed of it, but back then, I hadn’t had the chance yet and I kind of felt time was slipping away, that I might never be able to see a different country.

For me, especially at my age, Kate was like a shot of espresso. She jolted me awake from a slumber I didn’t even know I was in. Her playful banter sparked my brain, and I started feeling alive again! Plus, she was stunning—blonde hair (though she changed it up often), sparkling eyes, and a lovely smile. She had a wild side too; she’d go out partying and then hop online to chat with me while drunk. The first story I ever wrote, about consent, was inspired by her. Don’t get me wrong; she wasn’t a heavy drinker or anything—just young and full of that party spirit that I had lost long ago.

Kate flooded me with pictures once I figured out she was the real deal. How did I figure that out? On a whim, I asked her to snap a pic of herself holding a cup with a yellow pencil in it. I was blown away by how quickly and effortlessly she pulled it off. It was such a relief to know she was genuine. She really enjoyed being in front of the camera. Modeling for magazines was her dream, and she had a few leads, but nothing had come through yet. I was definitely starting to crush on her. She was a blast to be around and had a tough side too. As the leader of a gaming clan, she was well-respected and had some solid strategies up her sleeve. But omg, those eyes.. They would catch you and believe me, you'd surrender, quick like.

I wrote her a poem once. It was the first one I had written in 2 years. I don't know why I quit writing but she definitely is responsible for getting my writing juices re-flowing. Here it is:

_________________

Head Spinning

i don't know

maybe you are

a witch

a siren

or a sorceress.

your words

affect me like magic

causing the

sweetest torment

followed by

spine chilling bliss.

sometimes just a word

typed from you

by fingers

i've never seen

by hands

i've never held

makes all the walls

come crumbling down.

so if i grow silent

don't be scared

don't be worried

just the thought

of seeing you

has my head

in a flurry.

_________________

We got pretty intense in our chats, as she was bi-curious and this went on for 6 months until she quit the game. I missed her for a long time after she left but like I said, she woke me up. I hadn't been really living and happy in a very long time. After her, I knew I would be OK.

Read my other fiction story where I made Kate the Star of the Tale.

Also this was written for L.C. Schäfer's dollar challenge. See that below:

Thanks for reading this story. I'm a newbie at writing anything other than poetry, so I appreciate all reads (and comments, if any.)